What is the direction of conventional current
flow?
In a closed
circuit with a voltage source, there should be a flow of positive charges (+)
& a flow of negative charges (−) but in opposite direction to each other.
The flow of positive charges gives the same electric current, and has the same
effect in a circuit, as an equal flow of negative charges in the opposite
direction.
Now the interesting fact arises, since current can be the flow
of either positive or negative charges, what should be the actual direction of
the conventional current flow? The solution of the mystery is the direction of
conventional current is defined arbitrarily to be the direction of the flow of
positive charges. As the negative charges or electrons flows from the negative
terminal (−)to positive terminal(+) of the voltage source, so we can say that
conventional current flows on the opposite direction, that is positive
terminal(+) to the negative terminal(−) of the same voltage source.
In electrical circuits, most widely used conductors are made of
metals like copper & aluminium. But in metals, positive charges are
immobile, and the charge carriers are electrons, but we know that electrons
carries the negative charges.
So by the above discussion ,we can say that electron motion in a
conductor is in the direction opposite to that of conventional (or electric)
current. It is a easy & daily application of the conventional current flow
theory.
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